(Originally published on clarionledger.com: http://on.thec-l.com/2gKY5fB )

The Rev. Jill Barnes Buckley has been named the new executive director of Stewpot Community Services of Jackson, the board of directors announced Wednesday in a news release.

She will begin her new position January 1.

Buckley received her master of divinity degree from Boston University in 2003 with a concentration in urban ministry and has served as associate pastor of Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson since 2004.

Stewpot Community Services is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization formed in 1981 by local churches in Jackson. From its nativity, the goal of Stewpot has been to promote, develop, stimulate and encourage physical and spiritual development. Among its 16 ministries are the Community Kitchen, which provides a noontime meal seven days a week, 365 days a year; a food pantry, a clothes closet, children's programs, and shelters for men, women and children.